Steve PMHThe inexpensive acoustic guitar you purchased when you were younger is expected to last for about 10 years or so. Unless you splurged on your first electric guitar, that has a projected lifespan of right around 25 years.
The point is you’ll need a replacement instrument eventually and online retailers are supposed to make purchasing them easier.
Gear4Music is one of the better-known online retailers for musical instruments in the UK. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the services they provide so you can decide if you want to become their customer.
A Brief Overview of Gear4Music’s History
Part of the reason why Gear4Music is well known among musicians in the UK is that they’ve been around for a while now. The website was first launched in 2003, a time when online retailers were a thing, but they weren’t the default option for many shoppers.
Founder Andrew Wass started the website to make beginner-level instruments accessible to a greater number of interested individuals. Back then, Gear4Music offered more budget-friendly purchases as a way to break into the market.
Nearly a decade later, Gear4Music would receive a big financial boost from Key Capital Partners. They were listed on the London Stock Exchange not long after that.
These days, Gear4Music has expansive distribution centres in England, Switzerland, and Germany.
What You Can Expect from Gear4Music
What kind of shopping experience will you have if you decide to buy from Gear4Music? Let’s answer that essential question by breaking down the kind of service that Gear4Music delivers.
Product Selection
If there is one reason why you should consider shopping at Gear4Music, it’s the fact that they have a massive selection of products. Odds are good that you’ll buy whatever it is you need while perusing their digital store.
Look at their collection of guitars and you’ll find that they have different variations on offer. You’ll see 12-string guitars and ones designed for left-handed musicians. Parents can also purchase a starter guitar for their child from Gear4Music.
They are also not lacking in terms of accessories. Pick up pedals, amps, and numerous other accessories that will help improve your performance.
We’ve only talked about guitars so far, but Gear4Music’s offerings go well beyond them. You can also get percussion instruments, keyboards, and orchestral instruments. Relevant accessories for those aforementioned items are available as well.
Gear4Music has also not shied away from acquiring newer pieces of musical equipment. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a professional DJ, you can buy the items you’ll need from them.
It’s not just the musically-inclined folks who will like Gear4Music’s products. They also provide a nice array of home theatre speakers and headphones.
Content creators will like the varied microphone options available. Gear4Music even offers microphones specially designed for podcasting.
Browsing Experience
While shopping at a brick-and-mortar store, most people don’t buy the first thing they see. Instead, they take their time and browse the options available. Some shoppers are willing to spend hours scrutinizing products to make sure they end up with a better purchase.
So, what kind of shopping experience can you expect from Gear4Music?
At first glance, the website looks cluttered. You go to the homepage and it feels like too many things are jammed in there. Shoppers are bombarded with several products right away.
Navigate to the drop-down menus above and they unfurl a long list of options. Product types and categories are all included there.
I do appreciate that Gear4Music provides a quick summary of a product category whenever you click on one.
For instance, click on the MIDI keyboard category, and the site will tell you that they are instruments designed for creating music. They also feature USB connectivity. Gear4Music also says that MIDI keyboards are equipped with sliders and knobs so you can adjust the sounds you’re creating.
The brief descriptions are good for those unfamiliar with the instrument or piece of equipment.
Once you click on a product category, you are also introduced to numerous sorting options. You can sort the products based on price, brand, and several other qualities.
Gear4Music also puts some of its products on sale from time to time. You can find those discounted items in the “Clearance” categories.
Overall, I would say that the browsing experience at Gear4Music is good. There’s a nice flow to the pages and you can find what you need easily enough. After you get through the jam-packed homepage, you’ll be able to browse with no issue.
Delivery Service
Buying online sometimes means you are at the mercy of the retailer’s dedication to speedy delivery. Dealing with slow shippers is almost inevitable. That kind of delivery experience can sour you on online shopping if it happens often enough.
Gear4Music is somewhat hit or miss when it comes to its delivery service.
I like that you have the option of selecting a delivery date, but that feature is accessible only to a limited number of shoppers. It’s available only to shoppers in the UK.
You can also go for standard delivery. In that case, expect your order to arrive in two to four days. Delivery times for products heavier than 24 kilograms may also extend up to the fifth day.
The wait for international shoppers is significantly longer. Don’t be surprised if your order arrives 10 days after you made the purchase.
Long delivery times are tolerable. The frustrating part about Gear4Music’s delivery service is the lack of consistency.
It’s not uncommon for initial delivery windows to be missed. You’re expecting your order to arrive on the fourth day and you can still end up empty-handed.
The exact time of delivery is also not provided to you by default. Gear4Music may tell you the day when the product is expected to arrive, but that just means you have to wait from 8 am until 6 pm if you don’t want to miss it.
If you wish to be notified if your order is arriving soon, you have to pay extra for that. Specific-day and even tracked delivery options are also more expensive than the standard option.
Customer Service
Gear4Music has done a good job when it comes to assembling its selection of products and building its website. Their delivery service is lacking though and the same can also be said for their customer service.
There are two main problems with their customer service.
The first issue is related to its availability. You send an email to the provided address and it may sometimes take days before you receive a reply.
Calling is a more dependable means of getting in touch with Gear4Music, but not everyone has the time for a lengthy chat with customer service.
Even when you do manage to get a hold of someone from Gear4Music via email, that doesn’t mean that your troubles are over. Representatives don’t always provide the information you need. They can sometimes be vague with adjusted delivery dates and that just adds to how frustrated you are over the whole ordeal.
I want to note that these issues often emerge when you have complaints about the product or the length of delivery. Customer service is better if you don’t need specific information about a particular order.
How Do You Buy from Gear4Music?
For this next section, we want to detail the process of buying from Gear4Music. It’s a fairly straightforward process. If you have experience buying something online before, the entire process should feel familiar and intuitive.
Step 1: Choose the Product You Want to Buy
Start by going to the website and choosing the product you want. Upon selecting a product, you’re given a more detailed description along with some images. You’re also shown relevant reviews and similar products so you can search more for the perfect purchase.
As soon as you’re happy with the item you’ve selected, you can add it to your basket.
Step 2: Select Your Preferred Type of Delivery
The next step involves selecting what kind of delivery you want for your order. The most expensive option is getting your order delivered on a Saturday or Saturday with notification. Specific weekday and next day delivery are quite pricey too.
What’s annoying is that tracking is not a part of standard delivery. Customers will have to pay extra if they want to note the progress of their order.
Remember to also select the quantity of the item you’re getting delivered before proceeding to the next step.
Step 3: Provide Your Delivery Details
Assuming that you don’t have an account with Gear4Music, you will need to input your delivery details next. There’s nothing out of the ordinary here. Simply provide your details and continue with the purchasing process.
Step 4: Pick Your Payment Method
Gear4Music gives their customers four payment options to choose from:
- Bank Transfer – Customers will have to call Gear4Music first if they want to pay via a bank transfer. Orders paid for via bank transfers get processed as soon as the funds clear.
- Debit and Credit Cards – You can pay for your purchasing using an AMEX, Delta, Maestro, MasterCard, or Visa card. This is the most hassle-free way of paying for your Gear4Music order.
- PayPal – Paying for your order using PayPal is easy as long as your address is already confirmed. You may not be able to complete your purchase until that matter is settled.
- Financing Options – Financing options are available to UK-based shoppers who spent more than £200 online. Note the included interest rates attached to the different financing options before finalizing your order.
Step 5: Complete Your Order
With the payment method selected, all that’s left is to confirm your order. Gear4Music may also ask for some other details, but this last step is very simple.
Comparing Delivery Options
Your delivery charge will change depending on the size of your order.
Standard delivery for small items ranges from £0.99 to £5.00. For items considered medium-sized, the delivery price range goes from £4.99 to £7.50. If you’re ordering a large item, expect to pay £7.99 for delivery at the very least.
Delivery fees for international orders start at 10 Euros but that will change depending on the destination country.
Also, remember that you have to pay extra for special services such as specific-day delivery. With smaller items, specific-day delivery costs twice as much as standard delivery.
Pros of Gear4Music
- A large collection of instruments and musical equipment are available
- Gear4Music partners with numerous brands
- A well-designed website that is easy to browse
- Specific-day delivery is an option for some shoppers
- Residents of over 190 countries can order from Gear4Music
Cons of Gear4Music
- Tracked delivery not offered by default
- Exact delivery times are not always provided
- Reaching customer service via email is not easy
- All payment options are only available to UK-based shoppers
Verdict
I like having numerous options available when I’m shopping online. Make it easy for me to check out those options and I’ll like your digital even more.
Because I’m very particular with my instruments and accessories, I value access to Gear4Music’s extensive collection above everything else. For that reason, I would recommend shopping with them.
This isn’t to say their service is without fault because there are some shortcomings. As long as I get my order in good condition though, I can deal with everything else.
Check out Gear4Music’s selection yourself and see why I cannot help but swoon over it.
